Fenghuang Ancient Town (凤凰古城, “Phoenix Ancient Town”) is a river town in Xiangxi, western Hunan, where wooden stilt houses line the Tuo River. Walking its streets and riverside is free at any hour: the county stopped checking tickets at the edge of the town on 10 April 2016. You pay only for the ticketed sights inside and for the boats. A high-speed station opened about 10 km away in 2021, and a maglev line links it to the old town. Fenghuang has been a national 5A scenic area since 2024 and on China’s UNESCO Tentative List since 2008; it is not a World Heritage site.
What is Fenghuang Ancient Town?
The old town is in Tuojiang Town, Fenghuang County, in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. China’s submission to UNESCO calls it the strategic gateway between Hunan and Guizhou. Red sandstone walls and Qing-era gate towers stand along the river, a narrow wooden footbridge and a line of stepping stones cross the water below the north gate, and the lanes behind are paved with flagstones. The writer Shen Congwen was born here; his family home, built in 1866, is one of the ticketed sights.
What is free and what needs a ticket
| What | Listed price | Hours and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Streets, riverside, stepping stones, bridges from outside | Free | Open all day, all year |
| Ticketed old-town sights, sold as one combined ticket | RMB 128 with the day boat | Sights open 08:00–17:30; Shen Congwen’s former residence lists 08:30–17:30 |
| Tuo River day boat | RMB 85 | 08:00–17:50; in summer 08:00–19:10 |
| Tuo River night cruise | RMB 148, or RMB 188 with the combined ticket | Night boats 18:00–23:30; in summer 19:30–22:30 |
| Southern Great Wall, outside town | RMB 45 | A separate trip by road |
- These are Qunar and Ctrip listings read in October 2026, not an official price list. Check on the day you book.
- Foreign visitors: the boat and combined tickets are listed for foreign visitors at the same prices. Bring your passport.
- Concessions listed for the sights: under 14 free, ages 14–17 half price, ages 60–64 half price, 65 and over free, full-time students half price. Ask whether a passport is accepted.
- Ticket office: 0743-3221111.
Getting there from Zhangjiajie
- By high-speed train: Fenghuanggucheng station is on the Zhangjiajie–Jishou–Huaihua line, four stations south of Zhangjiajie West. When the line opened in December 2021 the fastest train took 49 minutes, against about three and a half hours by bus before.
- Train times change by date. Check 12306 for yours.
- Station to old town: the station is about 10 km from the main scenic area. The maglev sightseeing line runs 9 km from the station to the old town; get off at Lansheng station, about 5 minutes’ walk from the old town.
- Maglev fares and times, from Hunan’s official guide: RMB 28 one way; first train 08:45, last train 21:30; every 15 minutes from 12:00 to 18:00 and every 23 minutes otherwise. A RMB 68 tourism ticket gives two rides within three days plus the line’s exhibition halls.
- If your train arrives after the last maglev, take a taxi.
- From Furong Ancient Town: it is three stations north on the same line.
How long to stay
Stay at least one night. The town is at its best in the early morning and after dark, when the riverfront is lit and the night boats run, and neither fits a day trip from Zhangjiajie. Two nights give you a full day for the ticketed sights, a boat and the lanes away from the river.
Fenghuang questions
Is Fenghuang Ancient Town free to enter?
Yes, the streets and riverside are free and open all day. Since 10 April 2016 there has been no ticket check at the edge of the town. The sights inside and the boats are ticketed.
How much are Fenghuang tickets and boats?
In October 2026 Qunar listed the Tuo River day boat at RMB 85, the night cruise at RMB 148, the day boat with the old-town combined ticket at RMB 128 and the night cruise with it at RMB 188.
How do I get from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang?
Take a high-speed train from Zhangjiajie West to Fenghuanggucheng, then the maglev to Lansheng station and walk about 5 minutes. The fastest train took 49 minutes when the line opened.
How many days do I need in Fenghuang?
One night at least, for the evening and the early morning. Two nights if you want the ticketed sights and a boat without rushing.
Is Fenghuang a UNESCO World Heritage site?
No. China placed Fenghuang Ancient City on its Tentative List in March 2008, and it has not been inscribed. It became a national 5A scenic area in 2024.
Furong or Fenghuang, which should I choose?
Furong is a small, ticketed town built around one waterfall and needs one night. Fenghuang is larger, free to walk and needs one or two. They are on the same railway line, so many travellers do both.
Sources(9)
- Fenghuang Ancient City, Tentative List entry (submitted 28 March 2008)UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Fenghuang suspends ticket checks around the old town from 10 April 2016Beijing Youth Daily, via Zhejiang Online
- Fenghuang’s 5A plaque is unveiled (20 October 2024)Hunan Daily
- Fenghuang Ancient Town listing: hours, boat times and concessionsTrip.com Group (Ctrip)
- Fenghuang ticket page: boat and combined-ticket pricesQunar
- Guide for Fenghuang Maglev Sightseeing Express: fares, times and stationsPeople’s Government of Hunan Province
- Zhangjiajie–Jishou–Huaihua railway opens: station distances (6 December 2021)People’s Government of Hunan Province
- The line’s stations and the 49-minute fastest train (7 December 2021)China News Service, from Yangcheng Evening News
- Figure: Fenghuang Ancient Town, Yu Hui (CC BY-SA 2.0), converted by HomegroundWikimedia Commons
